Clan Chronicles
by Allytsuki
Summary: Have you ever wondered what happened to our favourite heros after the war against Madara? Who were their children? Did they inherit the same aspiring dreams and talents? Will one of them even chase the Hokage's position him/herself? And more importantly: Has the famous 'Will of fire' ever met an end?
1. Prelude

**~ Prelude ~**

* * *

The fourth Shinobi World War had shaken the whole continent, but almost feels like forgotten. Today it is mostly discussed in schools or the Shinobi Academy to most of the students pain.

A lot of things happened since it had ended. Ofcourse war between two countries still had occured, but none of them could even be compared to it in the slightest. Streets were safer and easier to travel now, communication between the countries and villages faster and better than ever and never had a psychotic and/or dead villian tried to destroy the world again.

The continent is experiencing an age of peace.

But what had changed? What is difference between now and then?

Somebody had united the five greatest nations – Earth, Lightning, Wind, Water and Fire bonded at the darkest hour to deafeat a common enemy to due?

Every child in Fire Country knows his name by heart: **Uzumaki Naruto**, the Orange Hokage of Konoha Gakure, Hero of the Hidden Leaf, Saviour of this World.

Together with the nuke-nin **Uchiha Sasuke** - lone survivor of the Uchiha Clan Genocide, ex-Member of the notorious Akatsuki Organisation and establisher of the new Konoha Military Police Force, which had become the primary example for similar organisations all over the continent – Uzumaki Naruto defeated Uchiha Madara and through that ended the Fourth and last Shinobi World War.

These two men alone had changed the whole Shinobi World not only in, but also after their times and the Will of Fire, their legacy of freedom, equality, truth and believe lives among us through their descendents, pupils and succesors.

* * *

_This will be something like a history book. Every chapter will deal with the fate of one of Sasuke's or Naruto's descendants and how they deal with their heritage...more or less._

_I want this story to make people laugh, maybe cry or just start thinking how important family and it's influence can be._

_I have absolutely no idea how or when his will end...but I had up 'til know real fun while writing it._

_I hope you'll like it^^_


	2. Clan Settlements

**~ Chapter 1 ~**

**The Settlement of Clans**

* * *

_**It is common knowledge**__ that Uzumaki Naruto married a woman by the name of Hyuuga Hinata a few years after the war. But most of us have forgotten or never known of the fact, that this certain woman had been the heiress to her entire clan. Despite of having a younger sister – Hyuuga Hanabi – Hyuuga Hinata indeed took over the seat of the Clan Head. It had been a very controversial situation. The Hokage seemed not to only have power over the administrative and executive part of the village, but also over one of the strongest clans of Fire Country. Until Hyuuga Hinata's death 62 years after the End of the Fourth Shinobi War, her legitimacy as the Clan Head had still be questioned by outsiders of Konoha Gakure._

_Hyuuga Hinata had brought several and grave changes to the conservative Hyuuga Clan. She abolished the Torii Seal and discrimination between branch members and freed already signed. Most of the elders were dismissed and replaced by younger ones and by the former Clan Head and father of Hyuuga Hinata himself – Hyuuga Hiashi._

_Not much is known of him and his charakter, but it certainly had pleased him that his eldest daughter had won over the Hero of the Hidden Leaf._

* * *

"I-I can't do this, Hinata-chan! I can't do this!" He hyperventilated, leaned against one of the walls in his office and tried not faint right on the stop. This was bad, really, really bad! He was dead! Dead as a doornail. Even more dead than Madara's ash that had been thrown into the ocean.

He would be killed, ripped and shredded into tiny little pieces only to be revived by Hiashi and killed again.

"A-Ano..N-Naruto-kun..." His girlfriend put her hands gently on his shaking shoulders, surpressing her own worry and fear neatly under her gently face. How could such a happy, joyous moment become like this?

"This is the end! I just became Hokage! This is so unfair! I don't want to die already...Can't we just keep it a secret? Hide it?! And tell him when I am already old and wrinkly?!"

Whining he slammed his right fist against the wall. Again. And Again

"He will notice..." Her grip on his shoulders tightened "We have to talk to him. He's my father." Carefully she turned him to face her. "You can do it, Naruto-kun. I know you can." She believed in him. She always had and she knew that she always will – but in some situations it was hard to believe that the man infront of her had ended a raging war with only 16 and was considered as mighty and invincible all over the continent.

"J-Just tell him w-we're full of a-anticipation and can't wait anylonger..."

"I can't even spell that..." He sniffed theatrically, then he pulled her into a firm hug. "Oh, Hinata-chan. This is the end. My one and only son will grow up without a father!"

He got onto his knees and pressed his nose to her stomach. "Listen chibi Naruto! You need to be strong like Ka-chan and stand quickly on your own feet so that you can help Ka-chan tending my marble grave!"

"N-aruto-kun..." Her face flushed a deep crimson. "We need to tell him..."

"Wah ~ Chibi Naruto, Ka-chan wants me to be killed!" Sighing she ruffled his spiky hair. "Ji-san won't even let a finger left of me."

Hinata knew that her father wouldn't be amused – to put it gently. She was also afraid of his reaction; the last time she had seen her father angry at her had been long before the war.

"We can do it Naruto-kun..."

He look up to her face, saw her faith in him and their relationship and suddenly he held no doubt about his decision. He would tell Hyuuga Hiashi that he, Uzumaki Naruto, would marry Hyuuga Hinata, the mother of his child, as soon as possible.

How he would explain everything without mentioning that both of them were only a couple for about two months seemed to be the next obstacle...

* * *

_**The Uchiha Clan**__ – holder of the powerfull Kekkei Genkai called 'Sharingan' - had been nearly extinguished eleven years befor the war. There hadn't been made any difference. Not much is known of the circumstances to the public. And the Clan still holds the one and only scroll that has he answer of whom and why. All that we historian know is, that three people survived the genocide of more than threehundredandfifty people - Men, Women, children, even infants - that occured in only a single night. First of all Uchiha Itachi – at that time thirteen years of age and son of Uchiha Fugaku, the Clan Head, his by six years younger brother Uchiha Sasuke and Uchiha Obito, who submerged during the Third Shinobi War to allign with Akatsuki and it's founder - the Uchiha Madara._

_Unfortunately for the Clans further existence, only Uchiha Sasuke survived the Fourth Shinobi War. And it took almost thirty years for a new Uchiha to come into theis new world. Despite all speculations Uchiha Sasuke indeed stayed in Konoha Gakure after the War. Because of his deep bond with the Orange Hokage he decided to stay in this village and to rebuilt, what his family beforhand called their duty: The Konoha Military Police Force._

_He married quickly. A quite prominent person herself at that time. Different sources confirm that Uchiha Sakura – better known as Haruno Sakura, apprecience of Senju Tsunade -the daughter of the first Hokage -, and a famous Medical-nin then and today – she had been on his Genin Team, a childhood friend._

_Their marriage had been childless for a very long time. It is unknown if the reasons had been fertility problems or the nearing civil war in which the couple had fought side by side._

* * *

Sakura sat on a hard and cold stone bench. Well, normally she didn't mind the smooth stone, but today she felt miserable. Today everthing should feel harsh, unpleasant and cold. Today nothing felt genuine and kind. It should be like that, but it wasn't.

Because next to her sat the impersonation of kindness and warmth, who wouldn't let anyone he knew drown in misery like she did. And she hated it. She hated it with every single fiber of her body, the words, the gentle stroking over her back, her voice...her. Oh, how she hated the woman next to her. Envy pulsed through her veins everytime she saw her. Her smile, her eyes glowing with happiness, her marriage, her children. Oh, how she envied her for her beautifull children. Everytime they came over to visit them - for birthdays, anniversaries or a simple dinner – their laughing and loud voices filled the entire estate. How they fought, cried and nagged eachother. One time the youngest of the three fell down, cried and screamed for his mother, when she came and pulled her child to her chest, it stopped crying immedately. And then _she_ feeled the need to cry. Without anybody noticing, she had fled to the bathroom.

Sometimes she mused about the thought, that she could be her. She could be the one in this house full of laughter. Her real home was gloomy and silent...and empty. She tried to fill it with flowers, colourfull carpets and paintings. The windows were always open, letting the sun shine through it to fill every corner with it's rays. But the apartment felt still empty to her.

"Sakura-san?!" Her concerned voice pulled her back to reality.

"H-Hai?" She smiled hestitantly. "Gomen ne...I got lost with my thoughts again."

"You really should talk with Sasuke-san..."

"Eeh?! What are you talking about?" Feeling uncomfortable, Sakura figeted on her seat.

"You need to tell him, how you feel...Naruto noticed too."The last year had been difficult. Sakura knew. They both worked long hours and six days in an week, barely home. In his free time, he trained or worked over time, she on the other side sat at home alone with her thoughts.

Ofcourse she stil loved her husband with all her heart, but her own wish for children had driven them apart.

When they got married – with only 19 (!) - she never had thought she would desire having children one day. For years she didn't even think about the possibility, despite of her friends who had started to settle down, while she kept working at the hospital and enjoyed every single second of just being with Sasuke. And from one day without any forewarning it had changed.

"When we got married...he told me, that he will never want any children. The Uchiha line should die with him." She couldn't surpress a miserable sounding sob. "And I was okay with it."

"You changed, Sakura-san..." Sakura could feel, how her long and delicate fingers patted her back. "You aren't the same person you were 15 years ago. Maybe he has changed too..."

* * *

This was kind of a second intro...

I wanted to introduce our hero's parents and how they relationships worked.

Just to infrom you: The upcoming stories wont have a particular or even chronological order. I just write what I feel like.


	3. A burden

**~ Chapter 2 ~**

**The ambassador**

* * *

_**The possibly most known descendent**__ of Uzumaki Naruto might be his great-grandson __**Uzumaki Ichirou**__. Despite of being born into a family of reknown Shinobi, he never seemed to be inerested in this kind of lifestyle. His name had never been registred in the Konoha Shinobi Gakko or is known if he had ever recieved any kind of training. What we know for certain is his work under the Yodaime of Konohagakure, Hachidaime of Sunagakure and Rokudaime of Kumogakure. His work didn't own any administrative nature, but more advising and bureaucratic characteristics. With only 25 years he had already been bestowed with the title of the Royal Ambassador by the damiyo of Fire Country himself._

_His diplomatic skills had been the driving force in ending the civil wars that had surrounded Amegakure and had endangered the borders of the countries of Gras, Wind and Rivers. Uzumaki Ichirou prevented a cataclysmic war, which would have resulted in an economical crisis on the western part of the continent._

* * *

It was way past midnight, when the thunder's roaring had woke him. He was alone. Nobody had shared a bed with him for years; he had been way to busy. Tiredly he massaged his eyes. There was no use in trying to go back to sleep. He hated thunderstorms, there was only one thing he hated more: being alone during thunderstorms. Nobody – not even himself – knew why he despised them so much. He wasn't afraid of them; they only made him restless.

When his wife had been with him, he would have pulled her against his chest to breath in her flowery perfume, which she even had woren to bed. She had collected thousands of little perfume vials and bottles in enormous chests. She called it a fable, he called it a mania.

Those scents had calmed him down, lulled him to sleep again...and if he still couldn't go back to sleep, he would wake her with kisses against her neck. She had been terribly ticklish.

Slowly he rose from his matrass. Now that he was awake, he could work and read a few more letters. He doubted that the servants were awake, so he had to go without a steaming hot cup tea. He sat down at his desk as he lightened a lamp and began reading a letter from a Lord in Suna. He felt threatened by the uproar near the border and stated an ultimatum: Either this riot would stop immedately or he will cut the relations with traders in Fire Country.

He massaged his eyes again. How he despised these way too rich men thought they could make people jump by just snapping with their fingers.

With a depp sigh he threw the letter on the 'Do it when you feel like it' pile. His mother had had always these kind of piles. Piles of laundry, dirty dishes, books or to be sharpened weapons had been scattered all around the house. At least that he had inherited from _her_. Everything else seemed to come from _him_. _His_ hair, _his_ face, _his_ smarts. No matter how many times his mother had told him the black hair came from his great-grandmother Hyuuga Hinata he wouldn't buy it. His mother had bloody red hair, his grandmother had bloody red hair and if the stories were true his great-great-grandmother had the same bloody red hair. His grandfather, great-grandfather and his uncle had such a shining yellow hair that the sun in comparison looked dull. It was impossible for him to inherit this pitch black hair from Hyuuga Hinata.

That had been the root to all problems: His mothers lies. He had figured them out as soon as he had learned how to write. He, Uzumaki Ichirou, was the result of a seduction mission. It all matched. The time frame between his birth and her last seduction mission were almost exactly nine months and twelve days. He had looked as a teenager through the missions archive. For an assistant to the Hokage, it had been too easy to steal that stupid keye.

A father figure? Most things he had learned by himself, except of walking and speaking. Girls advise? He never needed it. His Uncle, brother of his mother, always came with it despite having his own son, and gave him speaches he never wanted to hear, tell him things about his family, his mother. He had never been interested in it.

A seduction misson. In his mothers folder were tonns of them ever since she became 18. He felt so disgusted, like she was a common whore. Only her payment had been information. Sometimes he would look at the Anbu Uniform she had woren as a young woman. Just to remind himself who he really was. He couldn't throw it away. It was too precious. Her mask still hung above the mansions entrance as an reminder: Always be aware.

His mother had died on a mission during the secon civil war in the Land of Earth. It had been a useless death. Because of communication problems the notice of cease came too late. Her head had been pierced by a Kunai from an Iwa-nin.

That's why he had become and ambassador.

Unfortunately this only solved his occupation. Not his social competences. First his mother died, as soon as he had been old enough to move out of his uncle's house, he cut all ties with his remaining family, married a civillian from Tanigakure and settled down at the Damyo's court.

Then his wife left him with the words "I never imagined you being so cold!" and ran away with a simple kitchen servant. She had left him. All alone. With his two children.

He didn't even know what they liked, disliked, wanted or desired. And he didn't even care. The last remaining piece of emotion that had been untouched went with his wife. He had sent his children to his cousin Kazue with whom he had grew up with as soon as possible. He came to knew she was barren and not married. She'd love children of her own, she had to. Every child deserved a mother. Every mother-

Getting suddenly angry at his thoughts, he slapped himself. He needed to work. He needed to end this stupid riot so that no war would break out. He had the power, the influence, the money, the name.

He had to protect mothers.

* * *

**Ichirou - first son**

Well...I know it's a bit depressing, but I want to give different views on their (possible) future. So not only the happy-go-lucky side's but also the thraumatic ones.

I hope you liked t either way^^


	4. Clan Head

**~ Chapter 3 ~**

**The Clan Head**

* * *

He knew he was going to die. Not today, or tomorrow, but soon – pretty soon. It wasn't a pitifull thought he got because of an incurable illness or fatal battle injury; it was a realisation that came to his mind, when he had looked out of the window and saw how the plum and cherry trees started to put forth buds. In only a week their huge garden would resemble an ocean of pink and rosa blossoms, where his great-grandchildren would romb about. Great-grandchildren. He really had become old.

Only a few decades ago he would have never thought of how old he would be, when he died. More like how he would. Old age had been out of question.

And from one day to another everything changed. Suddenly he couldn't get enough of breathing, running, seeing, feeling, loving...living. As a teenager his mind had been preoccupied with pure rage and sadness, that he forgot how wonderfull being alive could be.

And when you have lived this long – saw your children be born, grow up into more or less independet adults, get married, have children of their own – you know it. You just know when life is leaving your body.

He never had thought that he would enjoy having a family again, that his scars could vanish by just hearing his first child's laugh. And in some moments it even seemed like nothing ever happened.

And so he knew, that he would die content with his life. It might not be the best, but beautifull still.

Although, he couldn't feel beautifull at all. His stature had shrunk, deep wrinkles adorned his face and since ten years at least had his hair lost it's colour. He could only surpress his tattering hands barely infront of his family. Only his wife new exactly how hard it had become for him to hold a to the brim filled cup of tea. Often they would hold on to eachother linking their arms closely while walking through the garden. After all, his wife was the same age as him. But to him she still looked like the twelve year old girl, who had confessed her undying love to him. Sometimes he couldn't believe it himself: He had married this loudmouthing, brutal and annoying woman out of his own free will. And he didn't regret it.

"Sasuke?", asked his wife worriedly. He had sat on his desk just staring at the papers and scrolls before him for hours. His wife stood at the door, a tray loaded with tea and onigiri in her small hands. "Dajobou?"

His left hand twitched. "Aa." Without any further question, his wife shut the door quietly and aproached him. "You should rest, anata...", she whispered and put the tray directly infront of him. "You look tired..."

"I'm old, not tired.", he snorted.

"Still...you missed dinner."

He knew. It hadn't been any kind of dinner, it had been _family _dinner. All in all he despised family dinners; not because of his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren or wife. It was because of_ them_. These dimwitted bubbleheads his sons had married were the cause of it. He knew that those women loved their husbands with all their heart, but unfortunetly no one seemed to own even a grain of ...well, what did they actually lack?

They were all more or less polite, well educated and loved their family with all their heart. All of them hoped one of their husbands would inherit the Clan Head title after his death. Well...except of one...

"I don't need to eat." After all he was going to die.

"You _do_ need to eat." She would persist on it; how he hated her stubborness! "You are way too old to skip a meal."

He sneered. "I'm fine."

"The hell you are! - You're sitting on that bloody will since last week and you only wrote two measely sentences! You're taking a break – now!"

He gave her one of his looks, he once gave his enemies before ripping them to pieces. Unfortunetly those looks stopped working on his wife a long time ago.

Reluctantly he reached for his teacup. _Happy?_

"You know you don't need to do this..." Oh, yes! He needed to! He had to make sure that his family would not meet the same fate again. It might not happen this or in the next generation, but someday...

"I do."

She stayed quiet.

"But I am not sure how...", he admit bitterly. She had won again. Slowly she sat down beside him and rested her head against his shoulders. Years hadn't been kind to her, but she didn't even have half of the wrinkles he owned. Her once pink her might be all white now, but still glowed rosa in the sun.

"To chose the person, who will determine the fate of our future..."

His wife sighed. "You know you're talking like Hyuuga Neji, when he had been just a boy." Sasuke flinched. "You need to clear your head, Sasuke-kun...A walk perhaps. You have locked in yourself for such a long time..." She looked out of the door that went to the garden and focused her gaze on how the sakura trees were slowly loosing their petals.

It reminded him of his granddaughter. Although he had been statisfied with having four sons, somewhere deep inside he had wanted at least one daughter. Instead he had got three daughter-in-laws, which whom he couldn't even stay in the same room without loosing his mind. And then one of his sons brought _her_ home. She hadn't been so much diffrent from the rest of them, at least at first. But something...something about her seemed to resemble his own mother, Uchiha Mikoto. Was it her smile? Or the gaze she held while speaking about children? The look she had given everyone around her, like nobody on this world would do any harm?

Her name had been Yuna. She had married his second oldest son Hayato twenty years ago. Sometimes he mused about how exactly his son had introduced her to them. He just brought her over on the day of the monthly family dinner and simply stated: "I'm marrying her." That were the only words he had spoken all night, although he had partly inherited his mother's love for talking.

That girl Hayato had brought home, wasn't only at least ten years younger than him, but also a simple civillian. Sasuke respected his son's decision, but it took him and his remaining sons a lot of time to accept his choice. After all that woman had been a pacifist from the core and that seemed to be the reason why Hayato quit his position at the Anbu units and joined the Konoha Military Police Force. That or the growing life inside of Yuna's womb. It had been a silent scandal on the streets: Uchiha impregnates innocent eighteen year old girl. That both of them had been in a secret realationship for a year or two stayed hidden. Something like that would have never been allowed at the clans old days. With a civillian and otsider of the clan non the less.

It had been a pain listening to his wife's ranting about Hayato's decision, but fortunetly soon turned in anticipation for their fourth grandchild. Sakura persisted on them living at the clan compound, which led to a wandering Yuna. She seemed to be restless on this big estate and someties she and Sasuke ended up playing shogi (in which she was certainly not gifted in) or talking. Never had Sasuke such a sensitive and mature girl in his life. He could suddenly understand why his son had fallen for her despite of her age.

Hayato had named their daughter Sakurako, because of her dark rosa hair. And indeed did that child resemble Uchiha Sakura from head to toe. But she had inherited Yuna's sense fo justice and peace.

Today Sakurako was a successful Shinobi – to her mother's sorrow – and already trained her own Ge-Nin team. Sasuke had never said it out loud, but most of the family members knew how fond he was of her. And once his wife had giggled, that she must be his favourite grandchild.

And suddenly it dawned him.

"Ne, Sasuke-kun..?!" He turned his head slightly down to his wife. "What are you thinking about."

"About a change."

Suprised to even receive an answer, his wife gave him a questioning glance. "A change?!"

"Aa...What was, what is...It doesn't matter anymore."

"What are you talking about?" Worried, she straightend her back and turned around so she could look her husband diectly in the eyes.

And then Sasuke gave her one of his rare smiles. Not a smirk. A smile. "I'll give my position as a Clan Head to Sakurako."

"To Sakurako?" His wife glanced over to the butting trees. "She is only nineteen. You think she will be able to manage it?"

Slowly Sasuke encircled his wife with his arms and pulled her against his chest. "Hai. After all, she is your granddaughter."

* * *

_**The history** of the Uchiha Clan is quite unique. Through the times they rose from simple nomads, bounty hunters and mercenaries to a vital part of Konohagakure, from that to nearly extinguished . From a single man to a family and then again to a small Clan. It might take them at least another century until they regained their former number, but thye are continuesly growing._

_Not only their size changed, also their form of inner reign – at least that's what most people like to call it. **Uchiha Sasuke** had been the last Uchiha patriarch; after his death **Uchiha Sakurako**, his granddaughter took in his place as the clan head. And her followed Uchiha Manami, her great-niece, then Uchiha Miyako great-granddaughte of Uchiha Sakurako._

_Nobody knows why he had made this decision, to alter a tradition that had been followed for centuries, but it certainly brought the emancipation movement a great deal in the following years._

* * *

**Sakurako - child of the cherry blossoms**

**Yuna - tie, to bind**

A chapter a bit more...peacefull.


	5. Dealing with Danger

**~Chapter 4~**

**Dealing with Danger**

* * *

It had started as a simple escort mission. Accompany a more or less rich tea merchant together with his newly purchased goods to the coast had sounded like an easy and nice oayed job to Akira and his two team mates, but unfortunately bad luck with escort missions ran in their families.

Once his grandfather had told him about his first mission, where he and his team escorted a bridge builder named Tazuna to his home. At first it sounded quite boring, but the mood changed quickly as soon as these S-rank criminals appeared.

Akira had already forgotten their names a long time ago (hey, he had been seven, when he had last heard that story!), though still remembered his grandmother mumbling something about his grandfather almost dying in action. And his grandfather had been twelve at that time. Well, in general all of his grandfather's stories seemed to be about getting himself in trouble. It didn't matter if it had been life and death situations or simple pranks. These things were kind of magnetically pulled towards him.

Akira still remembered how he once decided to kidnap his youngest grandchild. The reason? His grandfather had become bored over his paper work and decided to go over to the Academy's daycare and pick him up for a bowl of ramen. Then he would tell him over and over again about his 'adventures' and 'journey's'. He couldn't remember who had been more agitated – Akira's father or his grandfather's secretary. At first it had been fun, eating, laughing. But as he grew older, his grandfather appeared to him more and more...senile. Unreal. Living a fantasy of equality and justice.

"Akira, duck!", shouted his team mate Tadashi.

A fast as he could avoid the flying missle, only to be pushed down the tree by the explosion that had hid the tree trunk. Fortunetly he landed on his feet.

"Great!", he muttered darkly and spat on the ground. Explosive shuriken. These bandits were good.

He looked over to his comerades. Tadashi was fighting four bandits at a time but didn't seem to have a problem at all. At the moment he was swinging his burning kusarigama (chain-sickle) with such a speed that you only could imagine what deathly weapon actually hand on that iron chain. What a show off!

Fastly he peformed the hand signs for some bunshins. He needed to keep the rest of the bandits at bay until Mai, his other team mate, had brought their client out of danger.

She stood way to near the cart, shielding an almost trembling middle-aged man from the approaching men.

"Get going guys!", he shouted at his two copies and plugged two sai's from his belt. Out of the orner of his eyes he could see how Tadashi's kusarigama had just forced the last one cornering him behind the cart to his knees.

Akira and his clones fastly approached the bandits infront of the cart. "Mai! - Scenario 7!" And without waiting for a respond he threw three smoke bombs right into the mob. Instantly thick, grey clouds covered a radius of more or less three meters. The three of them had waited a long time to finally use that!

His clones jumped direktly into the smoke, presumely punching and kicking the bandits to destraught them for just an extra second. Akira threw his sai's straight into the air, performed more hand signs, until his hands were surrounded by thin lines of lightning.

"Check mate!", shouted Mai from the right. Then – from out of nowhere – a torrent of water hit the bandits. Before the smoke could vanish entirely, Akira let chakra into his feet, jumped high enough to do at least two flips and then rammed his electrizied sai into the wet earth. Ofcourse his own feet weren't allowed to touch the ground, so he had to stay in the position of a handstand. (And he called Tadashi a show off!)

The bandits screams filled the air not even a millisecond later. A simple electro shock was enough to roast them. Gasping he stopped his chakra flow to his sais. Every bandit that had been hit by Mai's flood layed now squirming and twitching on the forest floor.

"Good job, minna!" He pushed himself of his sais and landed only centimeters away from the enormous puddle that had formed around the bandits. "Anybody hurt?"

Grimacing as he tried to ease his muscles, he looked firt over to Mai, who needed to support the merchant, and then to Tadashi.

"Don't be so full of yourself!", laughed Tadashi while he tried to rip out his kusarigami out of a bandit's armor. "This was a piece of cake. Any Ge-nin could have done that!"

"You're just jelous that I stole all the attention."

Before Tadashi could open his mouth to conter, Mai decided to interfere. "Stop it boys! Not infront of a client!"

"Hai, hai..."

When the last bandit body stopped squirming, Akira dared to set a foot into the puddle and retrieve his sais. As he pulled then out of the now completely soft earth, he froze.

That weren't bandits from fire country. Right there tattoed on every mans arms were symbols from a bandit gang of the Land of Gras. And they couldn't be just striving near the borders. This forest was located hundreds and hundreds miles from the borders to any country.

"Oi, Tadashi?!", he shouted hestitantly. "Check out their arms!"

"What?! For the last time: I am not gay!"

"Baka, check them for tattos!"

Cursing under his breath, Tadashi went back to the bandit's bodies and pushed one arm after the other. "Gras tattos?! - What are these guys doing here so far inside of Fire Country?"

"Maybe the former group split up? Wars inside a gang aren't that uncommon.", declared Mai as she came over to her team mates.

"They would have cut out their tattos...or at least got them burned out by the winning party." With a swift kick, Tadashi turned a whole corpse around. "Or altered them..."

"It got too large..."

"Eh?!" Mai turned to Akira. "Could you repeat that?"

"I said, the gang got to large."

Tadashi raised an eyebrow. "How can a gang get too large? Isn't it the thought behind it to be as numerous and powerfull as possible?"

"Look at the mob here! They are at least thirty men attacking a simple cart escorted by three Jou-nin class Shinobi! They saw our forehead protectors, so why did they? They knew we were too strong for them; no Kusa-Shinobi could rival a Konoha-Shinobi of the same class."

"They were desperate...", muttered Mai. "Their attack was at the beginning coordinated, a tactical try..."

"Since when do simple bandits plan their ambush like that? Fifteen against me...the other half storming at the cart. They negected you on purpose?" Tadashi wrinkled his forehead. "They wanted to jump into the fight, get the goods...and run away..." He pointed his kurasigama to the direction the bandit's seemed to want to escape to. "What on earth is going on?"

* * *

_**The second civil war**__ hit the continent hard. __**Earth Country**__ faced several and drastic economical crisis at once – the main economic branch, the agrarculture came to an immedate stop. Hunger through all classes. Nobles barricaded themselves in their mansions, plotting their own social rise. Gangs and bands first crossed the borders to the __**Land of Grass**__, overthrowing only in a short time Kusagakure, which couldn't reestablish after the Shinobi World War. Eventually the damiyo fleed, after Iwagakure fell through conspiracy. __**Anarchy**__ reigned for seventeen years. _

* * *

"We need to return to Konoha.", concluded Akira.

"Our mission isn't finished, Akira-san.", protested Mai.

"This is defenitive more important, Mai!", spat Tadashi. "Who knows how many of them already crossed the borders!"

"And what about Tanaka-dono's safety? We have a contract to fullfill! _A Shinobi never goes back on his promise!_" He sighed. If he didn't respect and cherish Mai so much, he might have snapped at her. Using his own words against him. "See?! What you planned isn't right. We need to think clearly in this situation; no panic, no overhasted decisions. It could be a false assumption." Pause. "I say we send a summon to Konoha, inform them of the ambush and escort Tanaka home. Then we report everything to the Hokage."

Akira didn't agree. His decision hadn't been made overhasted. Fast, but not overhasted. But he trusted Mai. And he trusted her idealism if it came to promises and oaths. And he followed it, because it meant that somewhere his grandfather was still lecturing him about being a righteous human.

"You're spending too much time with Sakurako...", sneered Tadashi.

"And you with your porn..."

* * *

**Mai - dance**

**Tadashi - righteous**

**Akira - bright, clear**


End file.
